The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) just released a report on the failure of nursing facilities to develop and implement adequate emergency preparedness and response programs. The “Gaps Continue to Exist in Nursing Home Emergency Preparedness and Response During Disasters: 2007-2010” report is the summation of an OIG study to assess emergency preparedness and response during recent disasters.
The study found that most nursing homes met the Federal requirements for written emergency plans and preparedness training. The plans and training, however, failed to include relevant and practical information. The OIG stated that only around half of the tasks on CMS’ Checklist are generally included in emergency plans. The CMS Checklist is included in the OIG’s report.
The OIG recommended CMS revise the Federal regulations to include specific requirements for emergency plans and training, update the State Operations Manual to provide detailed guidance for Survey Agencies on nursing home compliance with emergency plans and training, and promote the use of checklists in facilities.
Should you have any questions, please contact:
Todd Selby at 317.977.1440 or tselby@wp.hallrender.com;
Brian Jent at 317.977.1402 or bjent@wp.hallrender.com; or
David Bufford at 502.568.9368 or dbufford@wp.hallrender.com,
or your regular Hall Render attorney.
